"Cough... cough cough..."
The cold winter night wind stung Yūshin's somewhat weary spirit. The sight of his utterly dead enemy made him exhale a long breath of relief.
Objectively speaking, he had to thank this formidable foe's "cooperation" for winning this battle.
If Ryo of the Earth Grudge Fear hadn't possessed so many hearts serving as external chakra nodes, Yūshin wouldn't have received chakra replenishment during combat.
In that case, even if he had awakened Boil Release, he would have been defeated due to chakra depletion.
The battlefield left behind by their fight was truly devastating—the keep was essentially destroyed.
Once the most intense combat had ended, five or six ninja finally climbed up to the keep. However, seeing the destroyed building and Ryo of the Earth Grudge Fear's corpse, they felt their scalps tingle with dread.
Never mind that the upper half of the keep had become architectural debris—the platform before them didn't look like something ordinary combat could produce.
The floor and surrounding remnant walls had taken on the appearance of a limestone cave, corroded in layers while their surfaces were coated with a greasy film.
From higher elevations, saliva-like semi-gelatinous substances dripped down, murky droplets slowly falling to the floor, producing white smoke and hissing sounds upon impact.
Paint stripped from the building had pooled in the uneven depressions on the ground, creating a riot of colors.
Piles of half-dissolved "black hair" clustered together, emanating an especially acrid stench.
And then there was Ryo of the Earth Grudge Fear's corpse—looking as if he'd performed a hundred-meter freestyle in a pool of concentrated acid... utterly gruesome.
This bizarre battlefield with its numerous disturbing elements left the arriving reinforcement ninja standing helplessly. The enemy was right before them, yet they dared not cross the line.
Everything was simply too oppressive.
Yūshin was covered in blood, limping and appearing ready to collapse at a touch, yet these ninja didn't dare attack him.
After noticing the arrival of other ninja serving the daimyo, he felt no particular emotion. He simply turned slowly, his gaze sweeping across each ninja in turn.
This calm stare seemed to harbor infinite intimidating power—the surrounding ninja didn't even dare meet his eyes directly, some involuntarily stepping backward.
Unless necessary, Yūshin had no intention of attacking these ninja again. With some difficulty, he raised both hands, making an accordion-playing gesture while addressing the surrounding ninja:
"You're all fired."
The gesture was abstract, but the meaning was clear.
These ninja glanced at each other, then began carefully backing away without a word before turning and leaping from the keep, fleeing at high speed.
With the strongest among Kikyō Castle's guardian ninja defeated in direct combat, this ninja group faced dissolution.
Within their organization, some took responsibility for sacrifice, thereby proving that even creatures like ninja occasionally displayed a modicum of integrity and loyalty.
The remainder demonstrated what "human nature" meant.
Flee when you should flee, retreat when you should retreat—your life belongs to you, no need to knowingly pursue the impossible. Is this cowardice?
No, this is called "rationality."
Yūshin had been cannon fodder for a long time; he understood the cannon fodder mentality well.
He withdrew his gaze from the fleeing ninja and looked again at Ryo of the Earth Grudge Fear's corpse. Though unintentional, this formidable enemy had indeed helped him master his Kekkei Genkai...
Yūshin even wanted to thank him.
Next, Yūshin recalled the Fūma Clan's fine tradition of "thrift and household management," so he produced a scroll and sealed the corpse within it.
...
The battle had ended, but Kikyō Castle grew increasingly chaotic.
Yūshin's objective remained unfulfilled. Despite his severely wounded state, he wasn't prepared to abandon tonight's crucial mission—this was to prevent complications from arising.
Because Ryo of the Earth Grudge Fear had previously sensed the enemy attack and made the keep his battlefield, tonight the Kikyō daimyo seemed to have gone into hiding.
But Yūshin wasn't entirely without leads regarding the daimyo's location. As he watched those ninja flee, during a quick downward glance, he spotted a familiar figure.
So he activated the Mayfly Technique, quickly leaving the keep. In just a minute or two, he appeared quite abruptly before that person.
Date Kametani witnessed his side's ninja scattering in all directions, realized the situation was completely out of control, and was just thinking of hiding as well when it was already too late.
Yūshin looked half-dead—at this point, with some facial makeup and appropriate hairstyle adjustment, he could probably pull off the "tragic beauty" aesthetic.
Date Kametani had some impression of Yūshin's face. Previously, he'd considered Yūshin merely the Fūma clan leader's subordinate, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.
After being intercepted, as if realizing something, his legs immediately began trembling uncontrollably... The current Yūshin wasn't a ninja—he was the Grim Reaper.
Even thinking with his posterior, Date Kametani knew he belonged among Yūshin's revenge targets.
"Cough, Lord Steward, I still prefer your previous rebellious appearance. Could you restore that?"
Yūshin's mood was actually quite good—he even had the inclination to joke with his opponent.
Date Kametani had no idea what to say, managing only a smile more hideous than crying.
"Honestly, I'm the one who truly wants to cry now—not from sorrow, but from a kind of... well, joy of achievement."
"My standing here proves that all the effort during this period wasn't wasted... Looking back, it really wasn't easy."
Yūshin spoke with complete conviction, but careful consideration revealed some guilt... What had he worked hard at? He'd worked hard at nothing.
His so-called achievements—his current strength—weren't they due to White Zetsu's efforts? They were related to him, but not significantly.
Date Kametani couldn't understand, and Yūshin's "amiable" appearance made him increasingly terrified.
A guy who was nearly killed by his own side's ninja, now smiling while appearing to want a heart-to-heart talk—who wouldn't be afraid? Date Kametani felt Yūshin's mental state seemed abnormal.
"Date... what was it again? I mean, Lord Daimyo—where is he now?"
Seeing this acquaintance being overly reserved, Yūshin stopped chatting and chose to get straight to the point.
Yūshin was certain the other party knew the daimyo's whereabouts. Precisely because the daimyo had hidden, Date Kametani had emerged.
Because the city always needed a temporary person in charge.
"The... daimyo... is... is at..."
"Never mind, can you lead the way?"
Date Kametani nodded rapidly, nearly creating sparks from his neck.
But just then, before Date Kametani could begin serving as guide, suddenly a ninja hidden around a side street corner charged fiercely toward Yūshin.
This was an assassination seizing the opportunity.
So-called ninja must risk their lives when the moment demands it.
🔥 Want to read the next 50+ chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]